Many current methods of coal mining use water to extract fine coal particles (also called coal fines). Such particles typically can have with diameters from approximately 100 to 800 microns in diameter, although coal fines may have smaller diameters, e.g., on the order of 50 microns or less. Traditional methods of drying the coal particles, including centrifugation and heating technologies, can readily dry these coal “fines” to approximately 30% moisture. Methods of drying coal fines beyond this point typically employ blowers and heaters which require capital intensive investment, require substantial energy use, and create environmental problems and hazards both from energy use and from aerosolization of the coal fines.